New Britain Sewer Rates Set To Increase
By Robin Vinci at May 24, 2024 | 8:00 am | Print
City residents will once again be paying more to flush the toilet.
On May 5 the New Britain Board of Public Works, acting as the Water Pollution Control Authority, approved the sewer user rate of $3.40 per one hundred cubic feet of metered water usage (ccf) that will be in effect for the July 1, 2024 bills. One hundred cubic feet is about 7,500 gallons.
This is an increase of fifty-six cents per ccf from the current rate of $2.84 per ccf.
The last increase was July 1, 2024 when it went from 2.69 to 2.84 per ccf.
Gil Bligh, Director of the New Britain Water Department said the increase is due to additional expenses, primarily driven by an 18 percent increase in fees paid to the Mattabasset District Water Pollution Control Facility. Fifty-seven percent of the city’s total sewer budget for the upcoming 2014-2015 fiscal year is comprised of the Mattabasset District’s annual fee of $4,891,868.
The Mattabasset District’s fee increase is due to a facility enhancement for Nitrogen Upgrade (Tertiary Treatment) and expansion of the plant which will increase permitted capacity from 20 million gallons/day to 35 million gallons/day. The project started May 2012 and will be completed in the summer of 2015. The total projected cost is $95.5 million. The District will become the 3rd largest facility in the state. The Mattabassett District is located in Cromwell.
“The enhancement was required by the EPA,” said Bligh. “It includes upgrading the Nitrogren Upgrade for removal as there was a limit. The other is the expansion of the flow.”
Bill rates based on typical yearly homeowners bill for a family of 4 shows they use about 96 ccf. That would put the current rate for residents at $273 a year. As of July 1 that rate will be $326 a year.
The State average is $406 per year. Nearby towns pay more. For example, Plainville pays about $420, Berlin $314 and Southington $416 a year.
“Sewer bills are calculated on water use,” said Bligh. “If you conserve water it will reduce your bill.”
Bathroom use accounts for about 75 percent of the water used inside the home.
The City has given these tips to help residents cut sewer cost.
• Check regularly for any leaks in your toilet, faucets and water hose bibs and fix them. Water saved: up to 200 gallons per day.
• Replace older, larger-use toilets with the newer higher efficiency toilets.Water saved:.5 to 5 gallons per flush.
• Never use the toilet as a wastebasket or ashtray.
• Take short showers and save the baths for special occasions. Water saved: 2 to 5 gallons per minute.
• Install water-efficient toilets. Toilets account for 26% of the water used at home. Old toilets can use from 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. New low-volume flush toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush, which gets the job done just as well, but with less water.
• Test toilets for leaks. Add a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet to the water in the tank, but do not flush the toilet. Watch to see if the coloring appears in the bowl with a few minutes. If it does, the toilet has a silent leak that needs to be repaired.
• Install a cutoff valve, or turn the water off while washing and back on again only to rinse.
• Reduce the level of the water being used in a bathtub by one or two inches if a shower is not available.
• Install a low-flow showerhead that limits the flow from the shower. Low flow showerheads can save over 2 gallons per minute. It feels like a regular showerhead. It gets you wet just like a regular showerhead. And no, the water doesn’t come out in little wimpy spurts. It just uses a lot less water than a regular showerhead.
• Do not use hot water when cold will do. Washing hands with soap and cold water can save water and energy. Hot water should be added only when hands are especially dirty.
• When brushing teeth, turn the water off until it is time to rinse.
• Do not let the water run when washing hands. Water should be turned off while washing and scrubbing and be turned on again to rinse. A cutoff valve may be installed on the faucet.
• When shaving, fill the lavatory basin with hot water instead of letting the water run continuously.
• Install faucet aerators to reduce water consumption.
